How the Tory Government has disappointed the Old Folks and the Widows - Price 1d., post free 1½d.

Sep 21, 2026

A Labour Party pamphlet criticizing the Conservative government’s Contributory Pensions Scheme and the Old Folks’ and Widows’ treatment under the Act. It argues that pensions and related benefits are inadequate, inconsistently granted, or later withdrawn, leaving many recipients worse off than before. The text cites examples such as tens of thousands refused pensions, aged women penalized due to husbands’ age, and widows’ pensions taken away when children reach a specified age, concluding with calls for legislative changes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

How the Tory Government has disappointed the Old Folks and the Widows

WHEN the widows and the old folks first heard of the Conservative Government's Contributory Pensions Scheme

AN ACT FULL OF INJUSTICES

50,000 Widows Refused Pensions

45,000 Darbies and Joans Penalised

Widows' Pensions granted—then taken away

Ten Shillings given—Eighteen taken away

97-84067-30Labour Party(Great Britain) How the Tory governmenthas disappointed the old... London [1928?] # COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIESPRESERVATION DIVISIONBIBLIOGRAPHIC MICROFORM TARGET ## ORIGINAL MATERIAL AS FILMED·EXISTING BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD Roproductions may not be mado wihout pemisslon tom Columbla UnterstyLbrarios. ## RESTRICTIONS ON USE: TECHNICAL MICROFORM DATA FILM SIZE: 35m10:/ IMAGE PLACEMENT:IA DATE FILMED: 129 IcTRACKING\#: 23639 FILMED BY PRESERVATION RESOURCES,BETHLEHEM,PA. 也 | How
the Tory Government
has disappointed
the Old Folks
and the Widows
Price 1d.,post free Iłd.
Published by
THE LABOUR PARTY,
Transport House(South Block),Smith Square,
London,S.W.1.
308 | | --- | ## How the Tory Government hasdisappointed the Old Folksand the Widows. WHEN the widows and the old folks first heard of theConservative Government's Contributory PensionsScheme,they had hopes that a generous State wouldbanish from their declining years the spectre of worry andwant. Now,however,they have had experience of the schemein actual operation,and to many of them it has broughtnothing but suffering and disappointment.Whilst in somecases the Act has granted pensions which are wholly in-adequate for the comfortable maintenance of the recipient,and considerably less than the Government spends on themaintenance of a convict— "Is it fair ?"Is it just?I call it idiotic.I was brought up under Tory influence,butif they cannot frame a Bili without suchpoverty-stricken clauses,I shall supportthose who will endeavour to alter it." Many widows and old people have been refusedpensions altogether. Others have been deprived of Insurance andother benefits that were larger than the pensionsthey are now forced to take instead,with theresult that they are worse off than before. (A Conservative elector of Wellingborough,in aetter.to Mr.W.G.Cove,the Labowr M.P.forWellingborough,who read it to the House ofCoMMONS on February 22nd,1928,in support ·of Labor's demand for the remotal of theCowtrinudory Pensions Act injustices.) The victims of this calculated example of Tory meannessare numbered in scores of thousands,and although the LabourParty has made repeated appeals in Parliament on theirbehalf,the Conservative Government has persistently refusedto give them justice. The Labour Party has asked— That the present inadequate pension of 10s.should be raised,and that the grants forchildren should be increased. That it should be granted to the thousands ofwidows and old folks from whom it is at presentbeing withheld. That the cases of those old people whose incomehas actually been reduced by the Act shouldbe reconsidered and their injustices removed. To all these reasonable requests,and many others,theConservative Government has answered"No." AN ACT FULL OF INJUSTICES. The text of the Act is littered with anomalies and injusticesfrom beginning to end.The Conservative Government isaware of these injustices.It has admitted their existence onevery occasion when the Labour Party in the House of Com-mons has demanded their removal.But it has refused toremove them,and has virtually told the widows and the oldfolks that they must“stick it”as best they can. 50,000 Widows Refused Pensions. No less than 50,000 widows have been refused any pensionwhatever.This figure is admitted by the Government itself. Other widows have had pensions granted to them,andthen,by order of the Government,they have had themtaken away. Many others who have been granted pensions are no betteroff,because the Government encouraged Boards of Guardiansto cut down their Poor Relief by ten shillings a week as soonas they began to draw the pension. 45.000 Darbies and Joans Penalised. There are a further 45,000 aged women between 65 and 70who have been debarred from pensions under the ActThecas

FAQs

What is the pamphlet’s main complaint about the Contributory Pensions Scheme?

It claims the scheme has brought “nothing but suffering and disappointment,” with pensions that are wholly inadequate or that leave recipients worse off than before.

How many widows does the pamphlet say were refused pensions?

It states that no less than 50,000 widows were refused any pension whatever, and that this figure is admitted by the government itself.

What consequences does the pamphlet describe for widows when children reach a certain age?

It says some widows’ pensions were granted but later taken away when children reach the age of 14, and that neither the children nor the widowed mother remains eligible for pension.

Sep 21, 2026

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